


A Friend During a Time of Need

by Lunarium



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Crossover, Friendship, Gen, Missing Scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-14
Updated: 2018-02-14
Packaged: 2019-03-17 11:49:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 853
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13658385
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lunarium/pseuds/Lunarium
Summary: After losing his horse at Tharbad, Boromir isn't sure how he's going to get to Rivendell. But a friend comes in time to offer a hand.





	A Friend During a Time of Need

**Author's Note:**

  * For [wednesday](https://archiveofourown.org/users/wednesday/gifts).



With a grunt, Boromir rested his back against a tall tree and threw his head back. Sparks flew before his eyes as his temples continued to pound. Damned headache. He cursed his luck before taking another swig from his canteen, then sank against the tree. The journey up to this point had been hard-earned; he deserved a small break. 

His bow and sword at the ready to take down any foe, be they orc or fell beast, he stopped and pondered how more days would pass before he reached the gates of Rivendell. His horse had become lost at Tharbad. The bridge had long become ruined in the ages past, and the ford dangerous. Boromir had urged his horse to turn back. This was by far not the first dangerous journey they had embarked together, and his horse could often reach safety on her own. They would normally reunite and resume their journey.

But this was not the case at Tharbad, and Boromir had to wonder if she had turned back towards Gondor. He did not wish to dwell on the alternative. 

With rations low, he paced himself. Kept out of trouble and only used his weapons when it was necessary. Orc activity had grown frequent everywhere, but here was among the first few places Boromir had to walking without needing to keep in the shadows. 

As he watched a leaf fall from a nearby tree, the first leaf-fall of Autumn, his eyelids grew heavy. His fought the temptation of sleep, in the event should an enemy lurk nearby, but the longer this battle wore on, the more the path before him blurred into oblivion. 

He roused from sleep with a jolt at the sharp sound of a blade piercing through flesh. Before him a warg lay, a pool of blood beneath it. Another gave a gurgled growl before it toppled next to its partner. The tall figure drew her sword, wiping the blood against her leggings. 

Boromir rushed to his feet, hands reaching for the hilt of his sword, before his eyes adjusted to the light. The woman walked as if on tiptoe, and radiance glimmered around her. 

“You are one of the Eldar!” he marveled in delight, hoping this was a sign he was closer to Rivendell than he had thought. 

The woman turned to face him, smiling briefly. “I am afraid I am not of the people you speak, though I am elf. I am called Tauriel, and I was once of Mirkwood, a grey elf who proudly served King Thranduil.” 

“King Thranduil of Mirkwood? Goodness, why are you so far from home?” 

Shadow of past pain flashed across her face, and he wished he had not spoken. 

“I was exiled by my king,” Tauriel said. “This I take with dignity, as I take any order given by my king, as much as it may pain me.” 

“Strange that he felt to relieve you of your duties,” Boromir said, “for you seem so noble at heart. But I suppose if he had not, you would not have been around to save me.” 

Her smile shone with the flicker of sun over the canopy of trees. “What is your name?” 

“Boromir, son of Denethor of Gondor.” 

“Ah, Gondor of the south. Where is your destination, Boromir?” 

“To Rivendell. I was sent by my father to give tidings of Minias Tirith. Mordor has been at war with Gondor and a shadow ever grows. My brother and I both had similar dreams, and it is my hope Lord Elrond may help me decipher it.” 

He retold her of the dream, and Tauriel listened with interest. By the time he was done her eyes had misted. 

“A shadow…I once fought a shadow,” she spoke. “It threatened entire kingdoms, threatened a spark that would have brought upon a new dawn. I fought alongside dwarves who my king detested. The battle was won but I had failed in saving a friend.”

A bird flew high above them, its caw shaking the otherwise stillness of the forest. 

“But I do not believe this darkness is without its end,” Tauriel continued. “Hope will always bring a new dawn.” 

“I could use some of your spirit at this time,” Boromir said with a slight chuckle, “for I find myself struggling every day as I take the long journey towards Rivendell.” 

“Do you not have a horse? How have you been traveling?” 

“My horse had been lost at Tharbad. I’ve been traveling by foot for a fortnight.” 

“By foot! Then that makes two of us, though I walk with no destination in mind.” Tauriel smiled. “Let me accompany you and see that you reach Rivendell safely and deliver your message.” 

Boromir gave a nod. “A companion would be lovely during this time, to lighten my mind of worries and cast light on any shadows that threaten my thoughts.” 

Tauriel nodded and waited for him to gather his supplies with him. They ate by the mouth of the forest, then as the sun began to ascend in the sky, they found a path and embarked on their journey to Rivendell.


End file.
